Make the Goal Specific
This may seem a little redundant after “Select Your Target”, but it’s here for a purpose. Virtually all the studies and all the experts say the same thing – goal achievement is most likely to be successful when the goal is defined with as much clarity, detail and specificity as possible.
If your target in Step 1 was “Lose weight”, this is your chance to clarify that even further to something like “I’m going to lose 10 pounds by October 30″. If your goal was to save money, this is your chance to clarify that by targeting a 12 months goal of $2,400, by saving $200 every month or $50 each week”.
Studies show over and over that vague, general goals are just not likely to be realized. I’m not a ‘new age’ guy by any stretch of the imagination, but there’s just too much evidence that your subconsious does some amazing things when we focus our thoughts on a specific desired outcome, to find ways to reach that target. But in order to determine “yes, this is a good move” or “no – bad idea”, our subconscious has to know exactly and precisely what the target is to be able to make those yes/no or right/wrong determinations.
That’s why research shows that “best efforts” goals don’t do well either (like, “I’m going to do my best to lose some weight”). That’s not to say you may not make some progress starting there, but it’s a suboptimal approach. The optimal practice is to set a clear outcome and a clear date, then keep that in mind continually.
In one of my favorite books, “Keys to Success”, Napoleon Hill advocates ‘definiteness of purpose’. Not approximation of purpose, or broad definition of purpose. Definiteness. Steven Covey (The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”) says to begin with the end in mind, i.e. the exact goal you are working toward.
I know this sounds simple, but it’s essential to emphasize the importance of being as clear, specific and definite as possible about exactly what your goal is. Check out SMART Goals for some guidelines for putting clarity in your definition. Get specific about your goal, write it down, and use that as you begin to build your Action Plan in the next step.
1. Goal achievement increases significantly when the goal is clear and specific.
2. Virtually all experts agree on this point.
3. Being clear and specific helps you both track progress toward the goal, but also better visualize your outcome.
